Vrdnik spa

at Vrdnik Spa

Vrdnik is a settlement in Serbia in the municipality of Irig in the Srem district, on the south side of Fruška Gora. The settlement developed on the sides of valley streams, which gives the terrain an undulating appearance. Vrdnik is located at an altitude of 181-260 meters above sea level, which is why there are steep streets and houses at crossroads. The range of Fruška Gora protects Vrdnik from the intrusion of cold air masses from the north, which is why the climate here is warmer than in some places that are much further south, but are exposed to the north. Vrdnik was mentioned for the first time in 1315 as the Vrdnik fortress, and the second time only in 1702, when it was mentioned as a settlement that had physiognomic features characteristic of most Fruška Gora settlements. It developed for a long time alongside the monastery of the same name, and the majority of the population consisted of immigrants from all over the world, who represented the hired labor force (serfs - prnjavorci) on the monastery estates. Of greatest importance for the development of Vrdnik was the discovery of brown coal deposits and the beginning of its exploitation. The number of inhabitants in the post-war censuses steadily increased until 1961, and then began to decline. Of the numerous causes, the most important are the closing of mines and with it the migration of the workforce, relocation to larger urban areas, and more recently the negative rate of natural increase (low birth rate). There were a lot of immigrants from Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Slovenia in Vrdnik, and then after World War II, a large part of them returned to their home countries. From the 1971 census to the 1991 census, a significant increase in the share of the elderly population and a decrease in the young population were observed. Nearly 4,000 inhabitants live in the settlement of Vrdnik.